Tuesday, February 14, 2012

There's been some challenging stuff happening in my life lately. I can't go into details, but I do think we should have a group hug and maybe pat each other's butts a bit in case you're going through some rough stuff, too.

What am I saying? Butt pats feel good even if there's no rough stuff.

And now I've accidentally steered this blog post to the subject of spanking, which is really not where I meant to go. Blame my inner romance author, who is a brazen hussy with no sense of decorum.

What I really wanted to talk about is an email I got the other day from my parents. They were fulfilling their duty as the best parents on the planet by offering kind words of encouragement and support. "Just know," they wrote, "we've got your back."

Something about that phrase dissolved me into a sniveling, sentimental baby. I posted on Facebook declaring those to be the best words in the English language.

I still think that's true, though my less sentimental self might find other phrases equally worthy of admiration. My upcoming romantic comedy, Believe it or Not, has a love scene that spans nearly 20 pages. I had a great time writing it, and I'll admit there are a few groupings of words that make me deliciously happy in a different way. (Drew: I love the way you say my name. Violet: So make me scream it.)

Other phrases that could be contenders for my favorite words in the English language:

There's free wine and food at the party.

Why don't you go read a book while I clean the house?

Here's a check we weren't expecting!

Want a massage?

You're so hot you melt the elastic in my underwear.

The jury might still be out on that last one. What are some of your favorite words in the English language? Please share!

And line up over there for the extra hugs and butt pats. This could take awhile.

It's not so much what the words are but how they're said. My husband works later than me, and when he gets home he calls up the stairs, "Hello?" in an assortment of voices. If he doesn't call up first, I shout down with my own voice. The stupider, the better.

Right now we're partial to a broken Russian-American accent. "Hall-os?!"

But, aside from the scotch having health benefits, it warms me up inside to hear my friend say, "I'll put the hug on your tab." We're long distance at the moment and it's just sort of an acknowledgment of the support, affection, and sometimes butt-patting that we would like to give each other if we were closer.

Who the @#$% are you?

I'm an author of quirky romantic comedies for Montlake Publishing and Sourcebooks, including Making Waves, which was nominated for contemporary romance of the year by RT Book Reviews. I also write interactive fiction capers for Coliloquy and the steamy, heartwarming Front and Center series for Entangled Publishing. I'm represented by Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary Agency. Email me at tawnafenske at yahoo dot com.